Source · Deaths in custody
PPO Fatal Incident Reports
6,401 incidents
5,674 published
1,165 recommendations
1,633 self-inflicted
3,373 natural causes
Deaths in custody investigated by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman. 26% of deaths are self-inflicted. Source: PPO.
Top recommendation themes
Learning & thematic publications
| Title | Type | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| PPO response to JSC Inquiry into Children and Young Adults in the Secure Estate | Consultation response | Jun 2026 | |
| Fatal Incident Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 22: Self-inflicted deaths in reception prisons | Learning Lessons Bulletin | Mar 2026 | |
| Fatal Incident Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 21: Segregation | Learning Lessons Bulletin | Mar 2026 | |
| Fatal Incident Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 20: Epilepsy | Learning Lessons Bulletin | Nov 2025 | |
| Annual Report 2024 to 2025 | Annual report | Jul 2025 | |
| Policy into Practice: Handling of prisoners’ property | Policy into Practice | Mar 2025 | |
| Policy into Practice: Handling of property complaints | Policy into Practice | Mar 2025 | |
| Complaints Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 11: Property complaints | Learning Lessons Bulletin | Mar 2025 | |
| PPO response to JSC Tackling Drugs in Prison Inquiry | Consultation response | Feb 2025 | |
| PPO response to JHAC Inquiry into Prison Culture | Consultation response | Feb 2025 | |
| PPO response to JSC inquiry into Rehabilitation and Resettlement | Consultation response | Feb 2025 | |
| Policy into Practice: Emergency Response | Policy into Practice | Jan 2025 | |
| PPO response to the Independent Sentencing Review 2024/25 call for evidence | Consultation response | Jan 2025 | |
| Fatal Incident Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 19: Post-release death investigations 2 | Learning Lessons Bulletin | Jul 2024 | |
| Annual report 2022-23 | Annual report | Jul 2024 | |
| Annual Report 2023-24 | Annual report | Jul 2024 | |
| Policy into practice: Use of force | Policy into Practice | Feb 2024 | |
| PPO response to the inquiry into prison population and capacity | Consultation response | Nov 2023 | |
| Fatal Incident Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 18: Self-inflicted deaths of IPP prisoners | Learning Lessons Bulletin | Sep 2023 | |
| Investigating deaths after release from prison – a pilot evaluation | Learning Lessons Bulletin | Jan 2023 | |
| Fatal Incident Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 17: Post-release death investigations | Learning Lessons Bulletin | Jan 2023 | |
| PPO response to the inquiry into the Prison Operational Workforce | Consultation response | Jan 2023 | |
| Annual Report 2021-22 | Annual report | Oct 2022 | |
| Policy into Practice: Use of restraints on escort | Policy into Practice | Sep 2022 | |
| PPO Response to the Inquiry into IPP sentences | Consultation response | Jan 2022 | |
| Fatal Incident Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 16: Second wave COVID-19 related deaths | Learning Lessons Bulletin | Dec 2021 | |
| Annual Report 2020-21 | Annual report | Sep 2021 | |
| PPO responses to the Inquiry into Women in Prison | Consultation response | Aug 2021 | |
| Fatal Incident Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 15: COVID-19 PPO fatal incident investigations | Learning Lessons Bulletin | Feb 2021 | |
| Complaints Investigations Learning Lessons Bulletin Issue 10: COVID-19 PPO Complaints | Learning Lessons Bulletin | Dec 2020 |
Incidents
| Name | Establishment | Cause | Status | Date of death | Recs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual at Morton Hall IRC | IRC Morton Hall IRC | Other | Published | 3 Oct 2017 | — |
| Individual at Dartmoor | HMP Dartmoor | Natural | Published | 3 Oct 2017 | — |
| Individual at Woodhill | HMP Woodhill | Natural | Published | 2 Oct 2017 | — |
| Individual at Elmley | HMP Elmley | Other | Published | 2 Oct 2017 | — |
| Individual at Isle of Wight | HMP Isle of Wight | Natural | Published | 29 Sep 2017 | — |
| Individual at Stafford | HMP Stafford | Natural | Published | 28 Sep 2017 | — |
| Individual at High Down | HMP High Down | Natural | Published | 28 Sep 2017 | — |
| Individual at Holme House | HMP Holme House | Natural | Published | 28 Sep 2017 | — |
| Individual at Nottingham | HMP Nottingham | Other | Published | 27 Sep 2017 | — |
| Individual at Humber | HMP Humber | Natural | Published | 27 Sep 2017 | — |
| Individual at Stafford | HMP Stafford | Natural | Published | 25 Sep 2017 | — |
| Individual at Lincoln | HMP Lincoln | Homicide | Published | 25 Sep 2017 | — |
| Individual at Featherstone | HMP Featherstone | Other | Published | 23 Sep 2017 | — |
| Individual at Northumberland | HMP Northumberland | Natural | Published | 21 Sep 2017 | — |
| Huang, Xi-Biao | IRC Dungavel | Natural | Published | 19 Sep 2017 | — |
| Individual at Winchester | HMP Winchester | Self-inflicted | Published | 18 Sep 2017 | — |
| Individual at Liverpool | HMP Liverpool | Self-inflicted | Published | 17 Sep 2017 | — |
| Individual at Nottingham | HMP Nottingham | Self-inflicted | Published | 17 Sep 2017 | — |
| Individual at Nottingham | HMP Nottingham | Self-inflicted | Published | 13 Sep 2017 | — |
| Individual at Oakwood | HMP Oakwood | Natural | Published | 12 Sep 2017 | — |
| Individual at Harmondsworth | IRC Harmondsworth | Self-inflicted | Published | 7 Sep 2017 | — |
| Individual at Peterborough | HMP Peterborough | Natural | Published | 6 Sep 2017 | — |
| Individual at Bure | HMP Bure | Natural | Published | 5 Sep 2017 | — |
| Individual at Bedford | HMP Bedford | Self-inflicted | Published | 2 Sep 2017 | — |
| Individual at Featherstone | HMP Featherstone | Natural | Published | 31 Aug 2017 | — |
| Individual at Whatton | HMP Whatton | Natural | Published | 30 Aug 2017 | — |
| Individual at Whatton | HMP Whatton | Natural | Published | 29 Aug 2017 | — |
| Individual at Hindley | HMP Hindley | Natural | Published | 28 Aug 2017 | — |
| Individual at Stoke Heath | HMP Stoke Heath | Natural | Published | 25 Aug 2017 | — |
| Individual at Thameside | HMP Thameside | Other | Published | 23 Aug 2017 | — |
| Individual at Elizabeth Fry | Elizabeth Fry | Other | Published | 23 Aug 2017 | — |
| James Thomas | HMP Risley | Other | Published | 20 Aug 2017 | 2 |
| Individual at Isle of Wight | HMP Isle of Wight | Self-inflicted | Published | 19 Aug 2017 | — |
| Individual at Oakwood | HMP Oakwood | Natural | Published | 19 Aug 2017 | — |
| Individual at Featherstone | HMP Featherstone | Natural | Published | 17 Aug 2017 | — |
| Individual at Northumberland | HMP Northumberland | Natural | Published | 17 Aug 2017 | — |
| Individual at Usk and Prescoed | HMP Usk and Prescoed | Natural | Published | 17 Aug 2017 | — |
| Individual at Dartmoor | HMP Dartmoor | Natural | Published | 16 Aug 2017 | — |
| Individual at Norwich | HMP Norwich | Natural | Published | 15 Aug 2017 | — |
| Individual at Durham | HMP Durham | Self-inflicted | Published | 14 Aug 2017 | — |
| Individual at Buckley Hall | HMP Buckley Hall | Self-inflicted | Published | 14 Aug 2017 | — |
| Individual at Norwich | HMP Norwich | Natural | Published | 13 Aug 2017 | — |
| Individual at Birmingham | HMP Birmingham | Natural | Published | 12 Aug 2017 | — |
| Individual at Birmingham | HMP Birmingham | Natural | Published | 12 Aug 2017 | — |
| Individual at Holme House | HMP Holme House | Self-inflicted | Published | 12 Aug 2017 | — |
| Individual at Bure | HMP Bure | Natural | Published | 10 Aug 2017 | — |
| Individual at Stoke Heath | HMP Stoke Heath | Natural | Published | 10 Aug 2017 | — |
| Individual at Highpoint | HMP Highpoint | Natural | Published | 9 Aug 2017 | — |
| Individual at Littlehey | HMP Littlehey | Natural | Published | 9 Aug 2017 | — |
| Individual at Usk and Prescoed | HMP Usk and Prescoed | Homicide | Published | 8 Aug 2017 | — |